Tidal freshwater forested wetlands (TFFWs) commonly occur along coastal rivers; however, sea level rise and changes to river discharge may impact these wetlands. Information that characterizes the hydrology and salinity regime of the TFFW zone is needed to assess risk and predict future viability. A combination of field data and modeling were used to characterize TFFW hydrology, salinity, and vegetation

Coastal nutrient pollution is an ever-present threat to estuaries worldwide. Benthic denitrification has been identified as a crucial ecosystem service to help mitigate increasing N loads to the coast. However, the controls on denitrification in low-nutrient systems are not well constrained and are likely different to those in more widely studied eutrophic systems. This study aims to identify the specific

Comprehensive understanding and quantification of different aspects of estuarine carbon (C) cycle are essential to decipher regional and global changes. Here, premonsoon C biogeochemistry of two contrasting estuarine systems (Hooghly - anthropogenically influenced and Sundarbans - mangrove dominated) located in the deltaic region of Ganges, India, has been investigated. The Hooghly showed sharper salinity

Fisheries and urban marine ecology meet within the world’s densely populated estuaries and coasts, where the imperative of dredging, construction and catchment modification occurs alongside the socio-economic characteristics of urban communities. Estuarine fisheries in urban areas have often shifted away from commercial harvest towards recreational fishing, fuelled by a diverse range of motivational

Seagrasses are productive habitats that support diverse communities of economically and ecologically important fishes and macroinvertebrates. However, most seagrass faunal assessments are conducted only during daylight hours. Here, we documented diel patterns in seagrass-associated fish and macroinvertebrate community structure in seagrass near Seahorse Key, Florida (USA). Artificial light is prevalent

Grazing by all members of an herbivore community can act to structure the ecosystems they feed on. The outcome of this grazing pressure on the plant community also depends on the interaction between different herbivore groups that are present. We carried out a three-month multi-level field exclusion experiment to understand how different groups of herbivores act both individually and interactively

Herbivory is a key structuring force that can have negative, positive, or mixed impacts on seagrasses. The identity and abundance of herbivores, as well environmental conditions such as solar insulation, can influence the impacts of herbivory. To understand the impact of herbivores on turtlegrass in warm, temperate St. Joseph Bay (SJB) in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico, we estimated densities of the

Tidal marshes (including saltmarshes) provide remarkable value for many social (cultural, recreational) and environmental (fish production, water quality, shoreline protection, carbon sequestration) services. However, their extent, condition, and capacity to support these services are threatened by human development expansion, invasive species, erosion, altered hydrology and connectivity, and climate

Loss of estuarine and coastal habitats worldwide has reduced nursery habitat and function for diverse fishes, including juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). Underutilized off-channel habitats such as flooded rice fields and managed ponds present opportunities for improving rearing conditions and increasing habitat diversity along migratory corridors. While experiments in rice fields

Climate change is altering naturally fluctuating environmental conditions in coastal and estuarine ecosystems across the globe. Departures from long-term averages and ranges of environmental variables are increasingly being observed as directional changes [e.g., rising sea levels, sea surface temperatures (SST)] and less predictable periodic cycles (e.g., Atlantic or Pacific decadal oscillations) and

To assess effects of N loads, season, and down-estuary transit on estuarine concentrations of nitrate (NO3), ammonium (NH4), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), and total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), we sampled three estuaries within Waquoit Bay, MA (USA), subject to different N loads, from spring to fall, at nine stations spanning the salinity range. Conventional statistical analysis on the basis of entire

Mangroves and salt marshes are considered important habitats for a diversity of fishery and other species. One of the key presumed values of these systems is their role in fuelling aquatic food webs that support many fisheries species. The mangrove-salt marsh ecotone along the NE Atlantic coast of Florida provides a natural experiment to examine the relative importance of mangrove and marsh production

A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-021-00901-w

To determine whether mangrove soil accretion can keep up with increasing rates of sea level rise, we modeled the theoretical, steady-state (i.e., excluding hurricane impacts) limits to vertical soil accretion in riverine mangrove forests on the southwest coast of Florida, USA. We measured dry bulk density (BD) and loss on ignition (LOI) from mangrove soils collected over a period of 12 years along

This study investigated the distribution and origin of organic carbon (OC) and aliphatic hydrocarbons (AHs) in sand (≥ 63 μm) and mud (< 63 μm) fractions of the Pina Sound (NE Brazil). Sedimentary OC and AHs were characterized using elemental [(C/N)a ratio], isotopic (δ13C), and molecular (AHs diagnostic ratio) proxies. On a dry weight basis, the average proportions of OC and AH contents in the mud

Seagrass restoration can help reverse global meadow loss and restore ecosystem services, including habitat provision for commercial fish and shellfish, carbon sequestration, and improved water quality. However, restoration projects are generally expensive, and site selection remains a challenge due to uncertainty about how environmental variables affect the survival and spread of seedlings. Long-term

Susan Lynn Williams (1951–2018) was an exceptional marine ecologist whose research focused broadly on the ecology of benthic nearshore environments dominated by seagrasses, seaweeds, and coral reefs. She took an empirical approach founded in techniques of physiological ecology. Susan was committed to applying her research results to ocean management through outreach to decision-makers and resource

Given recent trends of warming water temperatures and shifting fish distributions, detecting range expansion is important for resource management and planning. The subtropical common snook Centropomus undecimalis (hereafter referred to as snook) is an estuarine species that historically extended from the tropics to southern portions of Florida and Texas, but this range has been expanding for the past

Microphytobenthos (MPB) plays an integral role in contributing to the productivity and sustenance of shallow marine ecosystem. MPB forms an integral component in the trophic structure of mangrove forest and its biogeochemistry. Microphytobenthos from three selected mangrove ecosystems (S1, Kannur; S2, Kochi and S3, Kollam) along the southwest coast of India was studied in detail for 1 year (2018–2019)

A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-021-00897-3

Temperatures are increasing globally and causing species-specific geographic range expansions. In the Gulf of Mexico, mangroves are encroaching regions historically dominated by temperate salt marshes, changing animal communities and nutrient cycling in the intertidal zone. Marine systems are highly connected; therefore, we expect that changes in the intertidal will alter functions of adjacent subtidal

The Salish Sea, spanning Washington State and British Columbia, receives relatively low pH water from upwelling in the northeast Pacific Ocean and the acidity of bottom water increases within the sea, particularly in winter. In order to better understand the processes that lead to bottom water acidification in this region, I quantified the sources of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and alkalinity

Chesapeake Bay has a long history of nutrient pollution resulting in degraded water quality. However, we report improvements in chlorophyll a in surface waters and dissolved oxygen in bottom waters at one of three estuarine stations in the Choptank tributary of Chesapeake Bay. We updated a previous nutrient budget for the estuary constructed for reference year 1998 using rates of atmospheric deposition

Coastal salt marshes are distributed widely across the globe and are considered essential habitat for many fish and crustacean species. Yet, the literature on fishery support by salt marshes has largely been based on a few geographically distinct model systems, and as a result, inadequately captures the hierarchical nature of salt marsh pattern, process, and variation across space and time. A better

Ponds in salt marshes are often misinterpreted as a symptom of degradation, yet ponds can also be part of a cyclical process of pond formation, expansion, breaching by tidal creeks, and vegetation recovery. Pond dynamics may be altered by accelerated sea level rise, with consequences for the long-term stability of ecosystems. This study tests the prediction that ponds are in dynamic equilibrium across

Estuarine fronts have significant effects on estuarine circulation, water quality, and productivity. However, there are limited studies on the joint ecological effects of sediment and plume fronts caused by tidal mixing and a low-salinity plume in and off the Changjiang River Estuary (CRE). Based on observational data during the summers of 1988–2016, we analyzed the spatial correlations between environmental

A 4-year (2015–2018) weekly to bi-weekly time series of phytoplankton biomass and composition derived from high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) phytoplankton pigments and Chemtax analysis is presented and used to investigate phytoplankton community dynamics at a station in the northern Strait of Georgia (NSoG). Through the time series, blooms were largely dominated by diatoms, which formed

Most shorebirds depend on coastal habitats for much of their life cycle. The quality and diversity of feeding areas during the wintering period directly condition their winter survival, subsequent migration, and breeding success. During their wintering in France, shorebirds use intertidal areas for feeding, both in daylight and at night, depending on the availability of mudflats during the tidal cycle

Epifaunal invertebrates play an important role in seagrass systems, both by grazing epiphytic algae from seagrass blades and by acting as a major food source for higher trophic levels. However, while many studies have described epifaunal community properties at small spatial scales (1–10 m2) and across very large gradients (from continental coastlines to the entire globe), few have examined regional-scale

Observations and modeling are used to assess potential impacts of sediment releases due to dam removals on the Hudson River estuary. Watershed sediment loads are calculated based on sediment-discharge rating curves for gauges covering 80% of the watershed area. The annual average sediment load to the estuary is 1.2 Mt, of which about 0.6 Mt comes from side tributaries. Sediment yield varies inversely

Phosphorus (P) is potentially the most limiting nutrient in the Pearl River estuary, and thus, it is important to understand various sources of P. Suspended particulate matter (SPM) is usually high in the river and carries P. We hypothesize that suspended particulate reactive P (PRP) is a potential source of dissolved P and varies with estuarine hydrodynamics. To test the hypothesis, we conducted a

Salt spray mainly originates from the bursting of bubbles in breaking waves and is often considered as one of the dominant factors contributing to vegetation zonation in coastal dunes. In this paper, the literature on salt spray distribution and impact on dune plants are reviewed. Salt spray distribution is greatly affected by wave energy, wind conditions, distance from the coast, topography, vegetation

Spatial subsidies often occur from highly productive donor ecosystems to recipient systems with low productivity, but little is known about subsidies between highly productive ecosystems. Here, we investigated whether the kelp Ecklonia radiata, which is frequently dislodged from reefs, provides spatial subsidies in adjacent seagrass meadow where in situ productivity is already high. We clarified the

In the past few decades, we have learned much about the factors that regulate the productivity of seagrass-dominated ecosystems, especially those at low latitudes. Here, we update our previous assessments of the importance of seagrass-herbivore interactions, focusing on recent studies that have examined (1) the diversity of herbivores feeding on live seagrass leaves; (2) the factors that determine

Climate change will alter natural areas on a global scale within the next century. In areas vulnerable to climate change, scientists are regularly challenged to justify the resources needed for research and conservation. We face what may seem like a losing battle, especially in low-lying coastal areas where sea-level rise is predicted to severely degrade or destroy many ecosystems. Using sea-level

As the focus of land-sea interactions, estuarine and coastal ecosystems perform numerous vital ecological service functions, although they are highly vulnerable to various kinds of disturbance, both directly and indirectly related to human activity, that have attracted much recent attention. Critical zone science (CZS) has emerged as a valuable conceptual framework that focuses on quantitative interactions

The seagrass Halophila ovalis rapidly colonizes marine sediments from seed across a range of depth, light, and temperature conditions, making it ideal for restoration projects. Yet, presently, it is not a targeted restoration species as the biology of seed dormancy and germination is poorly understood. This study addresses that knowledge gap by experimenting with temperature and light pre-treatments

Tropical cyclones represent a substantial disturbance to water quality in coastal ecosystems via storm surge, winds, and flooding. However, evidence to date suggests that the impacts of tropical cyclones on water quality are generally short-lived (days-months) and that the magnitude of the disturbance is related to proximity to storm track. Discrete and continuous water samples were collected in three

At the southern limit of Zostera marina in the Western Atlantic, sexual reproduction has provided a mechanism of recovery following thermal stress–related interannual losses. To understand the natural variability in seed quality in eelgrass meadows, flowering shoots were collected weekly to bi-weekly during the 2018 flowering season (March–June) from three sites in Topsail Sound, North Carolina (NC)

In 2016, a massive bloom of the chain-forming diatom Aulacoseira granulata occurred in the upper San Francisco Estuary, California, with chlorophyll concentrations up to 75 μg Chl L−1. In this study, quantitative PCR was used to investigate consumption of the bloom organism by the numerically dominant zooplankter Pseudodiaptomus forbesi (Copepoda: Calanoida) and to estimate the contribution of the

Since Susan Williams and I started our scientific careers in the mid-1970s, seagrass science has been transformed from a largely descriptive field to an increasingly quantitative and predictive endeavor that requires a mechanistic understanding of environmental influence on metabolic networks that control energy assimilation, growth, and reproduction. Although the potential impacts of environment on

Bottlenecks for successful seedling establishment can be both biotic and abiotic, and understanding the contribution of these processes is important in restoration efforts in order to optimize use of limited seed supplies. Here we describe the results of 2 years of experiments assessing mechanisms for burial of Zostera marina (eelgrass) seeds in restoration-scale plots, and evaluating the resulting

Sea level rise is expected to push saline waters into previously fresher regions of estuaries, and higher salinities may expose oligohaline marshes to invertebrate herbivores typically constrained by salinity. The smooth cordgrass, Spartina alterniflora (syn. Sporobolus alterniflorus), can defend itself against herbivores in polyhaline marshes, however it is not known if S. alterniflora’s defense varies

The ecological paradigm that biological interactions are more intense in the tropics than in temperate or polar regions has existed since the mid-twentieth century, but several recent meta-analyses have provided scant evidence for latitudinal gradients in the intensity of herbivory. This contradictory evidence led us to carefully review the data and results of several of those papers that failed to

Understanding the effect of habitat edges on species interactions (e.g. predation) is critical for determining landscape-scale patterns in productivity and the structuring of communities in an ever-changing environment. Both abiotic cycles and habitat structure can mediate faunal movements across habitat edges and determine predators’ ability to access prey across both space and time. To quantify the

Post-Hurricane Sandy research has improved our understanding of coastal resilience during major storm events, accelerated sea level rise, and other climate-related factors, helping to enhance science-based decision-making, restoration, and management of coastal systems. The central question this special section examines is: “looking across the breadth of research, natural resource management actions

The responses of marsh elevation in four National Parks affected by Hurricane Sandy were examined using empirical data from surface elevation tables (SET) and modeling. The parks examined were Fire Island National Seashore and Gateway National Recreational Area in New York; Cape Cod National Seashore, Massachusetts; and Assateague Island National Seashore, Maryland. Observed vertical accretion rates

This collection of papers provides insights into methods and data currently available to quantify the benefits associated with estuarine habitat restoration projects in the northern Gulf of Mexico, USA, with potential applicability to other coastal systems. Extensive habitat restoration is expected to occur in the northern Gulf of Mexico region over the next several decades through funding associated

The frequency and magnitude of storm events is expected to increase with climate warming. Tidal freshwaters may be particularly sensitive to these events owing to their proximity to riverine inputs. Continuous and synoptic water quality data from riverine and tidal freshwater segments of the James, Mattaponi, and Pamunkey Rivers (Virginia, USA) were analyzed to characterize their response to high discharge

Ghost fishing in derelict blue crab traps is ubiquitous and causes incidental mortality which can be reduced by trap removal programs. In an effort to scale the benefits of such removal programs, in the context of restoring the Gulf of Mexico after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, this paper calculates the ecological benefits of trap removal by estimating the extent of derelict blue crab traps across

Hurricane Harvey heavily impacted Texas in August 2017 due to an extreme amount of rainfall, especially in the large metropolitan area in and around Houston. There was an offshore storm surge associated with Harvey, and while it raised the water level in the bay, possibly prolonging flooding in the Houston area by slowing drainage, it was not responsible for flooding, as water flowed continuously out

Vertebrate and invertebrate taxa that serve as forage for predators play a critical role in coastal ecosystems by linking lower trophic levels to ecologically and economically valuable predators in upper trophic levels. We analyzed long-term data from multiple monitoring surveys in Chesapeake Bay and its major tributaries to evaluate patterns and relative abundances of forage at two spatial scales

Billions of dollars are projected to be spent on restoration projects along the northern Gulf Coast which will require efficient monitoring at both landscape and project-specific scales. Recent developments in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) have sparked interest in the ability of these “drones” to capture hyperspatial imagery (pixel resolution < 10 cm) that resolves individual species and produces

Functional assessment approaches can identify indicators of environmental change and ecological response in estuaries. This study used a 24-year coastal fisheries dataset (1993–2016) and environmental data to evaluate fish assemblage changes in Galveston Bay, Texas (USA) in response to environmental parameters and freshwater inflows, drought, and flood. Functional classification categorized 107 fish

This review evaluates the importance of plants and associated biological processes in determining the vulnerability of coastal wetlands to sea-level rise. Coastal wetlands occur across a broad sedimentary continuum from minerogenic to biogenic, providing an opportunity to examine the relative importance of biological processes in wetland resilience to sea-level rise. We explore how plants influence

Introduction of non-native piscivores has been implicated in the decline of native Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha via predation during juvenile life stages. However, isolating effects of predation on Chinook Salmon survival is complicated by changes in physical habitat that are often concomitant with non-native piscivore establishment. We performed two field experiments with enclosures deployed

Genetic diversity within coastal foundation species can enhance species and ecosystem resilience to ocean warming and marine heatwaves. However, the effects of diversity on ecosystem function are often context-dependent and mechanisms underpinning, such contingency, remain poorly understood. To test the relationship between genetic diversity and resilience to warming in a coastal foundation species

Tidal marshes are a key component of coastal seascape mosaics that support a suite of socially and economically valuable ecosystem services, including recreational opportunities (e.g., fishing, birdwatching), habitat for fisheries species, improved water quality, and shoreline protection. The capacity for tidal marshes to support these services is, however, threatened by increasingly widespread human

The green porcelain crab, Petrolisthes armatus, a subtropical/tropical species, was first recorded on intertidal oyster reefs in South Carolina in 1995. Since then, its range has expanded north in a series of surges and setbacks that appear to be associated with particularly cold winters that may cause mortality. Petrolisthes armatus reproduces year-round in its native range whereas its reproductive